Men Who Never Die
by V Tsuion
Summary: Captain Kirk is dead and Mr. Spock - now the captain of the Enterprise himself - is the only one who knows what happened, and he refuses to tell a soul. It's up to Dr. McCoy to figure it out and prove that Spock is to blame.
1. Death

It was just like the Vulcan to demand to be beamed up without a word of explanation. What had Jim been thinking when he made him first officer; to imagine Mr. Spock as the captain… Whatever he was needed for, it had better be important, he had actually been sleeping for-

Mr. Spock appeared on the transporter, but much more startling was the figure in his arms. It was Jim's limp form, neither moving nor breathing… No! It couldn't be!

"What happened to him?" McCoy shouted at the Vulcan, "He'd better be alright! Get him to the Sickbay! What are you waiting for?"

* * *

"It is my duty to inform you that after many years of dedicated service, our Captain, James T. Kirk, is dead due to an unfortunate misunderstanding on Tamarin V." Spock's voice echoed throughout the Enterprise in an unnatural, nearly mechanical, monotone.

Dr. McCoy almost dropped his medical scanner - it wasn't getting any readings anyways - in shock and exclaimed, "What does that blasted Vulcan think he's doing?"

But Spock wasn't done yet, "For that reason, we are setting course for Earth where Captain Kirk will have a funeral, as is customary for those of his rank and heritage. All the crew of the Enterprise is invited to attend. In his absence, per the chain of command, I will assume his responsibilities as Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise; I will be the final word on all matters on this ship and it will be my duty to ensure that no more meet the same fate."

The transmission cut off with a click and for a moment the sickbay was consumed in a stunned silence that only the overly loud machines dared to break.

"We're doctors; our duty is to the patient, not starship politics!" Dr. McCoy declared, forcing everyone back to reality.

Kirk still lay there as all the doctors and nurses the Enterprise could carry bustled to and fro around him. He was poked and prodded, injected and drawn from, scanned and even jump started, but he did not even stir. He could not even take in oxygen and pump blood through his own veins without artificial aid.

Dr. McCoy clicked on the direct channel to the bridge, he did not want to resort to this, but he had tried everything else. "Mr. Spock, report to sick bay at once."

There was no response.

"Spock, we need to you down here, now!" Dr. McCoy insisted, "Get your Vulcan-"

"He's on his way." Uhura answered and the channel was closed.

"Keep him stable." Dr. McCoy ordered, though if it had been necessary, they would have been in trouble indeed, "Do you see anything?"

"No," Nurse Chapel answered.

Finally, the door slid open with a whoosh and in walked Mr. Spock, meeting Dr. McCoy's eyes with a pointed glare, "You said I was needed?"

"Yes!" Dr. McCoy said, his frustration clearly evident, "We can't get a sign of life on him, though what gave you the idea to assume we wouldn't is beyond me! He's being kept alive artificially, but if the brain's dead we can't do anything-"

"He is gone. He died on Tamarin V." Spock answered, his voice flat.

"You're Jim's last hope-"

"The captain is dead." Spock said, louder than necessary.

The declaration echoed around the sickbay, halting all conversation for an instant, before they all hastily returned to work.

"That might be all fine and good for you!" Dr. McCoy snapped back as soon as his wits returned, "You get to be the captain now! But Jim's life is still at stake - and he trusted you! He trusted you with his life, and this is what you do with it-"

"I will attempt to contact him," Spock cut Dr. McCoy off, "But even I cannot enter the mind of a corpse."

Still, Mr. Spock slowly, deliberately stepped towards the captain, his eyes fixed on a spot on the far wall. The nurses and medical assistants stepped out of his way as he approached. He stopped at the bed and looked down at the lifeless body of Captain James T. Kirk. Carefully, Spock lifted his hand and placed it ever so gently on the captain's face, beneath the wires that forced Kirk's body to keep functioning.

Spock closed his eyes and everyone around him fell silent, moving only as much as was absolutely necessary. The minutes ticked by and everyone began to fidget. Could this be a good sign, that he was actually getting something, or was the fact that it was taking so long a sign that something had gone wrong?

"He is dead." Spock announced at long last, reluctantly removing his hand from the captain's face. Though he spoke quietly, everyone heard with perfect clarity.

He turned as if in slow motion, to face Dr. McCoy. For a moment their eyes met and they exchanged a glance of staggering anger and hatred.

"Am I needed for anything more, doctor?" Spock cut through the silence, his rage simmering just below the surface.

"Get out of here!" Dr. McCoy shouted, "You won't hear the end of this! I won't let you!"


	2. Investigation

The furor that had overwhelmed the sickbay was long gone, Dr. Leonard McCoy was left alone with the corpse of his late captain and close friend. The tubes and sensors had been removed and the body had been covered, but still the seasoned doctor could not bear to stay in the same room for long. With no other patients, he had retreated into his office and buried himself in paperwork.

"How are you holding up?" Nurse Chapel asked, startling him back into reality.

He stretched and leaned back in the chair. He looked tired and worn, giving him the air of someone several years his senior.

There was a long pause before he answered with a sigh, "I'm holding up."

"That's good to hear," she said with a small, sad smile, "You're always so busy tending to everyone else, I just thought somebody ought to check in on you and make sure you're alright."

"Thank you…" he trailed off into his own thoughts.

"Do you-"

He cut her off without even realizing she had begun to speak, "What I want to know is what that blasted Vulcan is up to. There's something fishy going on and if no one else is going to get to the bottom of it, I swear I will!"

"Mr. Spock has been acting kind of strange…" she admitted, "But maybe it was as he said yesterday. Maybe he had already tried and knew Captain Kirk was dead. That would explain the announcement."

"Or he was eager to declare himself captain once Jim was out of the way - and to think I was starting to trust him..."

"It's so hard to know what he's feeling," she said with a sigh, "I honestly can't tell if he's sad or just the same as usual."

"Has he said anything more about what happened down there, on Tamarin V?"

She shook her head, "Not that I heard, but when I went up to the bridge he said essential personnel only. Maybe Uhura knows, since she's been up there the whole time and might have even been at communications while they were down on Tamarin. Anyways, I'm going to go down to the mess hall, do you want anything?"

"No," he waved her off, "I think I've got what I need for now."

"Alright…" she said somewhat skeptically, "Just don't-"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he gave her what he hoped was a comforting smile.

She stole a final concerned glance at him, before leaving through the main room.

Dr. McCoy turned on the direct line to the bridge, "Lieutenant Uhura, you're needed in sickbay."

To his surprise - though in retrospect it really shouldn't have been such a shock - it was Captain Spock who replied, "For what purpose do you require my communications officer? I have confirmed that she is not scheduled for a medical check up."

"It's about Jim." Dr. McCoy answered

There was a long pause before Spock said curtly, "Very well," and cut off the intercom with a click.

It was not long before the door opened with a whoosh and Dr. McCoy waved Lt. Uhura into his office.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"That's what I'd like to know," he explained with a grim smile, "Were you on duty while Jim and Mr. Spock were down on Tamarin V?"

"Yes, but we didn't hear from them until we returned from dealing with the stolen vessel, when Spock called to be transported back up. Well, that and when Scotty called down to tell them about the distress signal."

"Who answered?" Dr. McCoy cut in.

"Mr. Spock, he said they would be fine down there, but they had only just arrived."

Dr. McCoy nodded, his suspicions confirmed, though it didn't necessarily mean anything… "Has he said anything more about what happened down there?"

"No, he hasn't said much at all aside from giving orders, but he's never been particularly talkative."

"Still, he owes us an explanation."

"It is strange that he hasn't said anything about it, other than that it was a 'misunderstanding.' But if that's all you need me for, I've got to get back to the bridge. I'll tell you if I hear anything."

"Thank you," he said and she left.

Dr. McCoy sat there, alone in his office once more. He could return to the computer, he knew there was more than enough work to keep him preoccupied for months, but he hesitated. A yawn forced its way in and out of his mouth.

He would be glad to be back on earth, with distinct day and night, though he was far from happy about the circumstances. It wouldn't take them too long to get back, they weren't that far out, not for the Enterprise… And what was the Enterprise without its captain?

"Damn it Jim, why'd you have to die and leave that Vulcan First Officer of yours in charge? What happened to you down there?"

He shook his head to clear it. Talking to himself wouldn't get him anywhere. He needed some sleep, then he could continue his investigation.

"I'm a doctor, not a detective!" he said as he forced himself to his feet.

* * *

One nap later, Dr. McCoy emerged from his room. He was about to turn right onto the lift to take him back to sickbay when he noticed that the door to the captain's private chambers was wide open. His eyes narrowed in confusion, though he suspected he knew who was in there. He picked up his pace.

Sure enough, there was Mr. Spock rummaging through the captain's belongings.

"What more do you want from him?" Dr. McCoy demanded.

"I am looking for the captain's final orders," he answered with flat affect.

"Yes, I know them-" Dr. McCoy retorted. They had played the tape before, when they had thought Jim dead. It had stopped their usual quarreling then, but this time was different.

"It is not for your benefit, but for that of Starfleet Command," Mr. Spock explained.

"So after all that, all you really wanted was to get promoted?"

"I am obeying the captain's orders."

"He wouldn't want you to let him die!" Dr. McCoy said before he could stop himself.

To that, Spock had no answer.

"What happened?" Dr. McCoy nearly shouted at the Vulcan, "What was Jim to you, a friend or an obstacle?"

"Calm yourself, doctor," Spock ordered, though he sounded barely calm himself, "I advise you return to your post at once."

"You're not getting out of it that easily!"

He stood to full height, positioning himself so he towered over Dr. McCoy, "I am the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise and that is an order."


	3. Funeral

It was a beautiful day in Iowa. For once, Dr. McCoy could actually see the sun, set in a clear, cerulean sky, interrupted only by wisps of soft white clouds. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of evenly placed trees and tugged ever so slightly at the clipped blades of grass that covered the decaying bodies of hundreds of men and women who had been interred there over the past centuries.

His party was a somber one, consisting of over a hundred Starfleet officers of all ranks, all in their dress uniforms, and a few scattered civilians, including a woman that had introduced herself to him as Jim's mother. At the center was a large casket covered in a pale blue Federation flag.

There was some sort signal and the people who had been milling about aimlessly suddenly came to order. The crowd parted before him as Dr. McCoy made his way towards the casket. Mr. Spock was already there, holding the railing on the edge. Dr. McCoy moved into position behind him. Two other men that they didn't recognize took up the other side.

On the count of three, they all lifted and led the party towards the designated plot.

They walked in a stony silence. Tired of glaring at the back of Spock's head, the doctor turned his gaze towards the cemetery around him. Rows of gravestones of all shapes and sizes stretched out over the idyllic hills as far as he could see. Many has been adorned with flowers, but even more had long been without survivors.

Finally they came to a stop in front of an empty pit. On one side was a mound of fresh brown dirt, and on the other a large pavilion, not nearly big enough for all of them to fit. The four men placed the casket on a rig of pulleys and straps suspending it over the open grave. They lined up at the edge, standing at attention, as it was lowered, until it hit the bottom, six feet down.

All but Mr. Spock stepped back a little ways, as he turned to face the crowd. He stood stiffly, his arms behind his back, his expression emotionless. He spoke in a flat monotone, without any gesticulation:

"Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise died four point five days ago in the course of duty. He died as he had lived, sacrificing himself for the sake of his crew, but because of that sacrifice, he is no longer here to protect it. He left us all with that near impossible task; the burden he carried to his untimely death. I am not James T. Kirk, he is no longer with us, you all must accept that - crew, friends, and family alike - but I will do everything that I am capable of doing to carry on his legacy and request that you all aid me in doing so.

"_I shall not attempt to voice the quality of the respect and admiration Captain Kirk commanded. Each of you must evaluate the loss in the privacy of your own thoughts._"

There was a long pause as he let his words sink in.

"Attention," the order rang out and they all stood in formation, their backs straight, heads facing forwards.

A moment passed in contemplative, sorrow laden silence. Private tears were shed.

One by one, those at the back of the crowd drifted forwards to say their last goodbyes, before heading on their way. Nearly an hour passed as the crowd slowly diminished, but it was with a certain suddenness that Dr. McCoy realized only he and Mr. Spock were left standing at the graveside.

He hesitated to speak, but he could not bear to hold his peace, "You're eager to declare yourself captain, but you won't even tell Jim's mother why he's dead!"

"There is no alternative," Spock answered and turned as if to leave.

Dr. McCoy wasn't going to let him get away that easily, "Why? Because Starfleet wouldn't let you become captain if they knew Jim's death was all your fault?"

Spock didn't even give the doctor a parting glare before striding off.

Dr. McCoy hurried after him, "What did you do to him? Did you just let him die or were you so hungry for power-"

Mr. Spock spun to face Dr. McCoy, his face twisted in rage. He did not say a word and for a moment the doctor was afraid for his safety, if not his life.

Finally, Mr. Spock spoke, "I will explain myself to the investigative committee. Now, stand down or I will use my newfound power to call security."

Dr. McCoy clenched his fists, "Is this some sort of twisted joke to you? Jim is _dead_ because of you! And to think I was starting to trust you…"

"It is not _your_ trust that I require." Spock said and left him standing there.

"That blasted Vulcan!" he exclaimed a little louder than necessary - especially for speaking to no one in particular - earning him several annoyed glances.


	4. Hearing

"Starfleet hearing on the matter of the death of Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise," the computer declared.

Silence fell over all the officers crammed into the small, usually much more sparsely populated, courtroom in the Earth Starfleet headquarters. Even the small portion of the crew of the Enterprise present could barely fit. In the well, in the witness' chair, sat Mr. Spock, no doubt staring at the presiding officer - a greying old woman - with his usual air of stony indifference as the computer listed off his credentials. A lot of good they would do him, Dr. McCoy thought with grim determination.

As soon as the computer was done, Spock hesitantly began, "I was very close to Captain James Kirk," the declaration sounded unnatural in his emotionless monotone, "I was his first officer for nearly five years, and a legacy officer from under Captain Christopher Pike. I served under Captain Kirk loyally for that time and saved his life on many occasions, all recorded."

The presiding officer cut in, "That's all very nice, but you are not on trial - your character is irrelevant. This hearing is on the matter of Captain James T. Kirk's death, we are aware you were present at the time, could you tell us what occurred?"

He straightened himself in the chair and nodded, "The captain and I beamed down to Tamarin V on a routine visit. Almost immediately after our landing, we received a call from the Enterprise saying it had been called away to deal with an emergency. After consulting with Captain Kirk, I gave permission for them to depart.

"Soon after, we were accosted by a party of locals who accused us of committing a crime and escorted us to a city of theirs for execution - it is well recorded that the locals of Tamarin V punish many crimes with death. They executed Captain Kirk first and only after his death did the Enterprise return into orbit. I immediately called for them to transport us on board, and they did so, but the captain was already dead."

"Thank you, Commander Spock," the presiding officer said once he was done, "Lieutenant Uhura," - she stood - "You are the communications officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise?"

She nodded, "I was on duty while Mr. Spock and Captain Kirk were on Tamarin V."

The presiding officer waved her forwards and she replaced Mr. Spock in the well.

"What happened - according to your own experience?"

"As soon as we entered orbit of Tamarin V, Captain Kirk told Mr. Spock to beam down to the planet with him and Lieutenant Scott, the 2nd Officer, to take the helm while they were away. They left the bridge and only a few minutes later we got a distress call about a stolen craft in a nearby solar system.

"On Lieutenant Scott's orders, I contacted the captain to ask him what he wanted us to do, with him still on the surface. Mr. Spock answered and said that we could answer it and pick them up when we returned. It didn't sound like there was anything unusual going on down there at the time and we were out of range until we got back."

"What happened when you returned to Tamarin V?"

"We called down to tell them we were in orbit and Mr. Spock demanded that we beam them up immediately and have Dr. McCoy on standby. We did as he said."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Uhura." she said, "Dr. McCoy, you are the head doctor of the U.S.S. Enterprise and treated Captain Kirk upon return to the Enterprise?"

He stood and answered, "Yes. I have also petitioned to testify on the psychological competency of Commander Spock."

"Very well. First the results of your examination of Captain Kirk." she waved him into the well.

He took the witness chair and began, "I was called down to the transporter room and saw Spock beam up with Jim in his arms, as far as we could tell he was unconscious. We rushed him down to sickbay and ran all the tests we could. Everything was unresponsive, so we decided to try and revive him. We got his body functioning mechanically, but we still couldn't get any signs of life. As a last resort, I called in Mr. Spock from the bridge to attempt a Vulcan mind probe to see if Jim- Captain Kirk was already brain dead or if there was any chance of getting him back.

"Spock came down from the bridge - where he had assumed captaincy and already announced the captain's death to the crew - but he refused to do the mind probe. I had to shout at him to finally get him to do it because he kept insisting that Jim was dead. It turns out he was, but for all we know he could have still been alive the whole time Spock refused to check. Once we knew he was dead, I examined the body for cause of death, and I couldn't get anything, it was as if everything had just been shut off, like a light switch."

The presiding officer nodded, "Now, you wanted to address Commander Spock's psychological competency?"

"Yes," Dr. McCoy answered, "Based on my observations and knowledge of both his individual character and general psychology, I believe that Commander Spock's response to the death of Captain James T. Kirk indicates larger psychological problems, which would impede his ability to captain the U.S.S. Enterprise. Though we lack solid evidence because of the circumstances of Captain Kirk's death, I have been lead to believe that Mr. Spock had a hand in it.

"Until the hearing today, he has refused to tell anyone what happened on Tamarin V, responding violently whenever I - a personal friend of the captain, and I thought himself as well - tried to find out, and his explanation today was lacking. He never even said what Captain Kirk was supposedly executed for on Tamarin V. Most damning, he nearly refused to help me determine if Jim was alive, possibly preventing us from giving him the care he needed before he was beyond repair and in fact announced Jim's death long before it was medically confirmed. The day after Jim's death, I found him rifling through his quarters, trying to find Jim's final orders to secure his place as captain-"

There was a roar of outrage and disbelief as the assembled crowd gradually registered just what was going on.

The presiding officer silenced them with a sharp bang, "We will reconvene tomorrow for the hearing on Commander Spock's competency to become Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise."


	5. Explanations

The next morning, Dr. Leonard McCoy returned to sit in the well. Behind him, the assembled officers were in near uproar. Amidst the din, he caught a few less than kind comments aimed at himself. But he gritted his teeth and held his peace - he would have his time to talk soon enough. He forced himself to face forwards, staring at the old officer overseeing the hearing.

A sharp bang cut through his thoughts as she called for quiet.

His ears rung as the crowd fell silent. He could barely hear the machine reading off his credentials - a short list compared to Mr. Spock.

As soon as the machine finished, Mr. Spock stood from his own seat by the overseeing officer, at a slight angle so she could keep an eye on him while they both watched the proceedings. "I request a dismissal of the matter on the basis that, as Dr. McCoy admitted, there is no solid evidence in this case, only personal conjecture and surmise."

"Request denied," the commanding officer answered him - and he nearly fell back into his seat with a muffled word of thanks - "This is a hearing on the matter of your competency, not the circumstances of Captain James T. Kirk's death. Psychological evidence stands." - she turned towards the center of the well - "Dr. McCoy, could you explain the basis for your conclusion?"

"Mr. Spock has indicated a complete disregard for human life since the captain's death," Dr. McCoy declared, "While we - in sickbay - were trying to revive Jim- Captain Kirk with all we had, he made an announcement to the entire crew that Captain Kirk was dead and declared himself captain. We were still working and hadn't said a thing that could possibly have indicated that he was dead.

"Some time later, as a last resort, I called Mr. Spock down to sickbay to use his Vulcan mental abilities to determine if Captain Kirk's mind was still functioning, and he could therefore be salvaged. I've seen him do it before, but he outright refused when he was Jim's last hope! All he could do was insist that the captain was dead and didn't even give any sort of explanation of how he was so sure.

"Those two incidents alone show how eager he was to be done with Captain Kirk and declare himself captain. Jim has seemed to die or been on the brink of death many times before. Despite his Vulcan upbringing, Mr. Spock was always the most worried while the captain was in danger and the most relieved when he came out okay. But this time was different and based on what I've seen, I believe he's become unhinged, so eager to name himself captain that he lost what little remained of his humanity in the process!" Dr. McCoy took a long pause, forcing himself to calm down as what he had said sunk in to those listening.

Finally, he continued, "Not even a day after Jim's death, I saw Mr. Spock rummaging through the captain's belongings, trying to find Captain Kirk's final orders to secure his place as captain of the Enterprise. We had both heard the orders before, when we had previously thought the captain dead. When I asked him about it, he said that he didn't need my trust, just Starfleet command's.

"Last, but not least, until the hearing yesterday, he refused to explain the circumstances of Captain Kirk's death to a soul - yet he even used the funeral speech to call for support in his bid for the captaincy. The explanation he did give didn't even include the crime Jim was executed for or any attempts at escape that you'd think they'd have tried to make under the circumstances. He's hiding something, I tell you, and it can't be good. Vulcans don't lie - unless they feel they absolutely have to." He shot a final glare at Mr. Spock and left the well without waiting to be dismissed.

Through all of it, Mr. Spock sat stony-faced, staring through Dr. McCoy as the accusations seemed to barely grace his ears.

"Any response, Mr. Spock?" the commanding officer asked as soon as she finished writing up her notes.

Mr. Spock nodded - a strange gesture for a statue - and went to sit in the chair in the well. For a long moment he sat in silence.

"Go on." she said.

"To answer the first accusation," he said suddenly, nearly cutting her off, "I had already attempted a mind meld with the captain as soon as I was given access to the body after the execution and found the captain's mind gone with the rest of him. I attempted to indicate as much, but the message did not get across into your emotion addled brain," he was not talking to the officer in charge of the hearing, but answering Dr. McCoy directly.

"What you described as an eagerness to replace him as captain is merely a sense of duty. Before his death, Captain Kirk ordered me to 'watch out for the Enterprise for him' as its captain. As his last act, he entrusted me with this duty and I will do whatever I can to carry it out. There is nothing _unhinged_ about it."

"You said both you and Captain Kirk were to be executed, correct?" the overseeing officer asked - Mr. Spock nodded - "Why, then, did Captain Kirk assume you would survive to captain the U.S.S. Enterprise in his absence?"

"The Enterprise returned before I was to be executed and I was able to escape." Mr. Spock reiterated shortly.

"But you give no indication that Captain Kirk was aware of that before being executed - for what exactly?"

There was a long pause. Mr. Spock closed his eyes and took in one deep breath after another. The moments dragged on…

"Mr. Spock-" she began.

"Not long after Lieutenant Uhura called down to say the Enterprise was being called away, we were surrounded by several locals," Mr. Spock said, his voice flat, "They appeared to be a threat and so, to defend the captain, I fired on them. Stun had no effect, so I turned my phaser to kill and killed them all. There were witnesses and I was to be sentenced to death for their murders, but Captain Kirk volunteered to be executed in my stead.

"I insisted that he was needed on the Enterprise, I had committed the crime and would take the penalty, but it had no effect. He insisted that I had killed them for him and he trusted me to captain the Enterprise in his place. We attempted to escape many times, but we were overpowered. It is his final wish that I have been attempting to fulfil."


End file.
